


Escapee

by Gumnut



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Medication, Paranoia, disorientation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gumnut/pseuds/Gumnut
Summary: "Scott, do you have him?""No, I thought you had him!" Scott came to a halt in the corridor just outside the hangars, his breathing harsh."He ran in your direction!" Gordon’s voice was frantic."He ran? How could he run? He can barely walk!"
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	Escapee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Scribbles97](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribbles97/gifts).



> All @scribbles97's fault cos she made me think.

"Scott, do you have him?"

"No, I thought you had him!" Scott came to a halt in the corridor just outside the hangars, his breathing harsh.

"He ran in your direction!" Gordon’s voice was frantic.

"He ran? How could he run? He can barely walk!"

"He was running! John, where is he?"

"Heading towards Two's hangar."

Scott darted the last few metres into the huge cavern. Thunderbird Two towered above him, the only sound the howling wind of the cyclone outside. "I'm in Two's hangar."

"It's a big hangar, Scott. I've sent Alan to assist."

"So which entrance? Send Gordon down here, too."

"He’s entered at the northern end. Gordon is covering security."

Scott wished, not for the first time, that Kayo hadn’t chosen this weekend to hang out with Rigby. "How the hell did he get out anyway?"

"I think we should make sure he is safe before we start assigning blame." And there was the guilt.

"What did you do, Gordon?"

"Nothing! He wanted chocolate...so..."

"You left him alone to get him some chocolate?! You know how he can react to new medications. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him!"

"Can we find him first and not blame me later?"

"Found him!"

"Alan, you be careful."

"C'mon, he wouldn't hurt me!" The sound that followed that statement was more a squawk than anything else. It was followed by a crash that echoed the length of the hangar.

"Alan?" Scott started running. "Alan!"

"I'm...I'm okay. Though we now have proof that he can pick me up with one hand and throw me like a football." A grunt. “Always thought he was boasting about that.”

"Alan! I'm coming to you."

"I'm fine, Scott. Ooooh!"

There was a slam of a door that echoed the length of the hangar. "I've got Alan, Scott. He's o- Alan, that is not supposed to bend that way!"

"Gordon!"

"Thunderbird Three is down for the count. Broken arm. I'm taking him to the infirmary and Grandma. You'll need to field the target until I get back."

Field the target. After this, Gordon was fielding sanitation duty for a month.

A soft footfall.

Scott spun.

Virgil stood in a torn infirmary gown, glazed eyes looking up at his ‘bird. The gown had been ripped down one side and the bandages on his arm were tangled and trailing behind him.

Voice calm and soft. “Virgil?”

That disoriented gaze found him and his brother’s eyebrows crumpled. “What?”

Scott dared a small step forward. “Hey, Virg. How are you feeling?”

His brother blinked slowly. “You can’t keep me here. I will escape.”

Damn. “Virg, you’re home. You’re safe.”

“You’re lying.” Virgil’s top lip curled up in a snarl.

“I’m not, Virgil.” He held up his hands trying to be open and friendly.

“You just want our technology. You want to hurt my family.” His injured, but still very heavy lifting brother took a step forward. “You won’t succeed.”

“I am your family. Please believe me. You’ve been injured and medicated. You’re not seeing things straight.”

Virgil growled. “You hurt Gordon. You crushed him beneath tons of rock at the bottom of the ocean! I wasn’t there to help him then, but I am here now!”

His brother shouldn’t have been able to move that fast, certainly not high as a kite on painkillers. But suddenly he was on Scott and a mass of angry flailing limbs.

“Virgil!” Scott ducked an elbow aiming for his head, only to catch one in his gut. Virgil was off his face, but he had been taught by Kayo and her father as much as the rest of them, even though he was the least inclined to use it.

And he was all solid muscle.

“Virgil!” Scott made a grab for an arm and missed, paying for it with a solid connection to his side that had several ribs groaning. He scurried backwards, attempting to avoid his brother’s reach. “C’mon. Please don’t do this.”

“You won’t hurt us anymore!” Virgil’s fist was a solid projectile that Scott barely avoided. He skipped and dodged as his brother growled. If Virgil pinned him, he was screwed.

“I’m your brother! Your big brother! Virgil, please! I would never hurt you.” He backed off hastily as his brother moved in.

“You nearly killed him! You nearly killed little Gordy. How could you do that? How could you?!”

Virgil rushed him again and Scott was hard put to keep out of reach, those huge fists determined to do him damage. Perhaps he could have dodged his brother for some time, except something came up against the back of Scott’s shins and he was suddenly falling backwards.

Shiiiiit!

A blur of green as he landed hard, and he realised he had fallen over Thunderbird Two’s landing strut.

It was a conspiracy of pilot and machine.

Virgil loomed over him as he struggled to move out of the way. This was going to hurt.

But his brother suddenly flinched, a small sound of distress falling from his lips. He turned around to find Gordon lowering a tranquilliser gun and Scott got a full view of the dart embedded in Virgil’s shoulder.

“No! No! You can’t! I won’t let you! No!” He took a step in Gordon’s direction and Scott used the opportunity to scuttle to his feet.

“Virgil, it’s Gordon. I’m okay, see?” He held up his hands. The tranquilliser gun had vanished.

Virgil stared at him. “No, please, please don’t hurt him. Please, he’s my little brother…”

The injured engineer waivered where he stood, a hand going to his head as he staggered.

Scott edged a little closer as Gordon did the same.

But the spirit hadn’t left Virgil and as he caught sight of Scott once again, he took another swing at him.

It was uncoordinated and Scott stepped out of reach easily. Virgil staggered and nearly fell. Scott had to fight the urge to jump in and help.

Wide, fear-filled brown eyes caught his as his brother waivered badly. “Scott? No, I can’t-“

And Virgil folded, Scott barely managing to catch him before he hit the concrete floor. Gordon darted in, helping him to lower their heavy brother down gently.

Virgil struggled weakly, still determined not to give it up, muttering Gordon’s name over and over again.

“I’m okay, bro. I’m safe.” Gordon’s voice was almost as tearful and desperate as Virgil’s. He grabbed his brother’s hand, holding it tight in both of his own. “See, it’s me.”

Scott held his brother close as those brown eyes stared at Gordon, finally stilling their struggles. A whisper. “Gords?”

A smile spread over the aquanaut’s face. “Yeah, Virg, it’s me.”

“I’m so sorry…” But Virgil’s eyes rolled up in his head and his body fell limp as the tranquilliser finally had the last word.

Scott clutched his brother close as Gordon stared at the unconscious man and swallowed hard. Carnelian eyes caught Scott’s, but nothing was said before the aquanaut was thumbing his comms and calling Grandma down with a stretcher.

Pulling Virgil in even tighter, Scott closed his eyes and buried his face in black hair.

-o-o-o-

Virgil woke with a headache and a foul taste in his mouth.

The obvious smells of the infirmary alerted him to where he was, and even this deep in the mountain, he could hear the storm still raging outside.

He groaned. Damned cyclone. Two was going to need a full overhaul after that landing.

Landing.

Memory tracked him approaching Tracy Island, desperate to get home before the cyclone hit, but sure that Two could handle the conditions. After all, she had tackled much worse on many an occasion.

But there was a blank. He didn’t remember landing and all his memory could supply was a jumbled mess of terror.

“Scott!” He sat straight up in bed, his heart suddenly racing, thudding in his chest, absolutely terrified. What had happened to his brothers?

Hands grabbed him and, for a split second, that fear multiplied as he realised his own hands were tied down and he couldn’t free them.

“Virgil! You’re safe. You’re home. You’re safe.” Scott’s voice, panicked and desperate. A pair of worried blue eyes and Virgil latched onto them. A moment of stillness, recognition. He was in the infirmary. Scott had him. He was okay.

God, his head hurt.

“Scott?”

A tentative hopeful smile. “You with me, Virg?”

“Uh, yeah.” He pulled at his arms, looking down to find his wrists strapped with medical restraints. His left arm was swathed in bandages and was complaining. A frown. “What happened?”

Scott stepped back a little, but his hands didn’t leave Virgil’s shoulders. “You had a bit of a rough landing. Two did her best, but you got a bit shook up.”

Landing.

He searched his memory. Still nothing. No specifics, just a haze. But this wasn’t the first time he had hit his head...because he had obviously hit his head because he couldn’t remember the incident. “What’s the damage?”

“You have some electrical burns and bruising.”

“Not me, Thunderbird Two!”

His brother’s shoulders dropped and he sat back, rolling his eyes just a little. His brother radiated such a sense of relief. “Virg...” But there was a hitch in Scott’s voice. “Two is fine. A bit of strain to her superstructure, one wheel had to be replaced. Brains was concerned about her electrical systems, but he said it was mostly a replace and patch up job. He’s already repaired the dash.”

“The dash?!” What the hell happened?

“Hey, relax. She’s good. As far as we can tell it was a freak accident. A combination of lightning and a shielding failure. You hit the runway hard and an electrical arc took out you and half the dash.”

Virgil stared at his brother. “Are you sure she’s okay?”

Scott frowned at him, all humour gone. “Virgil, I don’t care about Two. I only care about you. It was...close. You scared us.”

Virgil blinked, the terror making a sudden return, swirling in the back of his mind. “What happened?”

Scott sighed. “You’re okay, just as much as your ‘bird. Grandma knows what she is doing.”

Another blink. “Grandma? Where is she?” He looked around the room as if expecting her to suddenly pop out of the shadows.

“She’s resting.”

Another thought hit him. “Gordon! Where’s Gordon?”

Scott frowned at him. “Gordon’s fine.”

“But the Landing...” He trailed off. His memory refused to supply the information he needed. There was something about Gordon. Gordon getting hurt.

“He wasn’t on Two. You were alone. You were coming back from Beijing. You were delayed with another rescue in the Phillipines and it messed up your flight plan proper. Gordon was fishing a boat full of whale watchers out of the drink in Tonga.”

Virgil just stared at him.

Scott’s frown deepened. “Gordon, travelled back under the edges of the cyclone. Made it back a couple of hours before you.” The hands on his shoulders squeezed gently. “Virg, what is it?”

“Why am I strapped down?” The fear was becoming a physical thing. His memory was blank, but something had happened. His neurons may not have recorded the information, but his body was on edge. Something other than falling out of the sky.

It hit him like a slap to the face as the facts all came together. The strain on Scott’s face, the fear in his own heart, the restraints, the memory loss... Quiet words echoing the terror welling inside. “What did I do?”

Scott’s stiffening gave it all away. The flicker of fear in his brother’s eyes that echoed Virgil’s own.

“Scott, what did I do?!”

“You were medicated. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Scott!” Why the hell didn’t he just tell him?

The door slipped open and a strawberry blond head poked through. “Virg! You’re awake!” Gordon bounded into the room, a grinning Alan following him in.

The aquanaut thumbed his comms. “John, he’s awake.”

The FAB at the other end of the line was curt, but a moment later his tall and lanky brother slipped in behind them.

Virgil stared, his aching head not quite able to keep up with the sudden change in audience.

Alan had his left arm in a sling. When had that happened? Again, his memory refused to supply the requested information. He resisted the urge to swear.

“Will someone please tell me what happened?” He was almost embarrassed by the desperate plea in his voice...almost.

All four brothers froze, three of them turning to Scott as if awaiting direction. Virgil looked from one to the other and back again. “Guys?!” He rattled the restraints like that guy out of Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ rattled his chains.

And immediately regretted it when Alan’s eyes latched onto them. The expression on his littlest brother’s face flashed worry.

“Allie?”

Alan startled and Virgil’s already thudding heart upped its pace another notch as clues began to slot together.

“Allie, how did you break your arm?” No, please, no.

“Virgil-“

“Scott!” He glared at his brother before turning back to Alan. “Are you okay?”

The worry on Alan’s face vanished and he shrugged as if the sling was nothing. “I’m cool. You’re the one we’re worried about.” He strode up to the end of Virgil’s bed and dumped himself on it. “Are you feeling better?”

There was so much hope in those blue eyes.

Virgil blinked. He really wished his head would stop hurting.

Enunciated very clearly. “Can someone please tell me what happened?” An unsteady breath as his eyes latched onto Alan again. “Did I hurt you?”

The restraints bit at his wrists as he clenched his fists.

Alan’s eyes darted to Virgil’s hands in echo of that earlier flash of emotion before his little brother threw up the same cheerful façade he did during rescues.

Virgil’s heart broke.

Alan reached out, a soft smile on his face as his fingers landed on Virgil’s leg, the bed covers relaying his little brother’s touch. “I’m good, Virg. You didn’t know what you were doing.”

“I hurt you.” The words scraped past his larynx as Virgil’s eyes latched onto the sling holding his little brother’s arm safe.

Alan waved it away. “Eh, you just proved a point. I need to spend some more time with Kayo.” He smiled just a little. “You know how to kick ass when you want to. Note taken. Don’t get in your way when you’re determined.” An impish grin. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I-“ He knew Alan meant well, but every word… he struggled against his restraints. He desperately wanted to reach out and hold his brother, reassure himself, provide comfort, but…his chains rattled.

It was Gordon who acted. “Hey, Virg, it’s okay.” A hand on his shoulder for just a moment before his aquanaut brother was fiddling with the strap holding down Virgil’s arm. “I can see that hug machine grinding gears.”

Scott was fiddling with the fastenings on Virgil’s other wrist.

“No, not the hug machine!” It was comical on Alan’s part as he flailed dramatically at the end of the bed, but it was in such contrast to the distress in Virgil’s heart…

Then his hands were free and he was reaching for his little brother. “Allie!”

Perhaps he feared rejection in Alan’s eyes, but as the young astronaut flew into his arms without hesitation, Virgil was overwhelmed with a mixture of gratitude and love.

“It’s okay, Virg. I promise.” It was muffled into his shoulder.

Virgil only squeezed tighter, his left arm pulling at whatever he had done to it. Blond strands fluttered as he breathed into his brother’s hair.

“Sorry.” Hoarse.

“Is okay.” One thin arm tightened around him even tighter and it squeezed moisture out of his eyes.

He clung to his little brother for a long moment, but questions still needed answers.

As Alan eventually pulled away, blue eyes looked up at him and smiled. As far as Alan was concerned, he was obviously forgiven.

But Virgil didn’t think he could ever forgive himself.

And he still didn’t know what had happened. His eyes skipped to Scott, then Gordon and finally John.

John.

Virgil’s eyes narrowed as they focussed on his space brother. “Tell me.”

“Virg-“ Scott placed a hand on his arm again.

Virgil shook it off and kept his eyes on John. “Tell me!”

Aquamarine gauged him, flickered to Scott and back. “You had an adverse reaction to medication. Grandma tried a new combination as you weren’t responding well to your usual dose. It worked. However, an unforeseen side effect was paranoia. You fled the infirmary in what appears to be an escape attempt from the Island and headed down to Thunderbird Two.” John’s eyes were kind. “Alan got in your way. He claims you picked him up with one hand and threw him across the room. Hence the broken arm.”

Virgil turned to stare at his little brother who shrugged. “You were right. You can pick me up with one hand.”

Fingers tightened on Virgil’s arm, but he was beyond identifying who they belonged to as he turned back to John. Quietly. “There’s more.” It wasn’t a question.

John tilted his head a little. “Then Scott got in your way. You were determined that he was an enemy. Either the Chaos Crew or the Hood himself, because you blamed him for Gordon’s injuries earlier in the year.”

“John.” Scott’s tone was sharp.

The space monitor turned to the commander. “He needs to know.”

Virgil couldn’t take his eyes off his tall, red-headed brother. Those aquamarine eyes turned back to him. “You attacked Scott. Gordon took you out with a tranquilliser gun.”

Virgil stared. A lump in his throat welled up. “Thank you, John.”

His brother’s lips curled up into the faintest of smiles and he nodded once, but didn’t say anything further.

Virgil turned to Scott. “Are you okay?”

Eyes were rolled at him for his efforts. “As if you could take me your best day, Virg. Are you kidding me?” All smirking confidence.

Virgil raked his brother with his gaze, almost wishing he could medically scan him with his eyeballs.

He turned back to John. “Is he okay?”

A disgusted sound from Scott almost obliterated John’s smiling words. “He’s fine. Maybe a few bruises. That’s all.”

“John!”

John turned to Scott. “You want to try and hide medical issues from Virgil? He’ll worry himself sick and then find out anyway. Best to be upfront. For everyone’s health.”

Scott grunted and glared. “I’ll remind you of that next time you complain I’ve set Virgil on you for not sleeping.”

“That’s different.”

“Different how? Eos claimed it was a good thirty-six hours last time and you were hallucinating coffee.”

“I am old enough to make my own decisions.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“You can’t talk. You hid that bruised rib from him when you came back from San Fran two weeks ago.”

“John!”

“You’re lucky he punched you on the other side today.”

“John! For goodness sake!”

Virgil stared at both of them in shock as the ‘discussion’ blew up into a full-on argument over the bed. John stood with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed while Scott pointed fingers at him in punctuation.

Alan stared at the both of them, wide-eyed beside Virgil.

A nudge at Virgil’s other side snapped him out it.

“Both idiots, if you ask me.” Gordon was quietly grinning. He sat on the edge of the bed beside Virgil and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Can’t hide anything from you, anyway.”

A blink. The hug was weird and voluntary, but Virgil wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

However…

“You shot me.”

“Yep.” The grinning continued, but Gordon didn’t look at him, his eyes tracking the entertainment of space monitor versus commander as they bickered.

“Thank you.”

That did draw those amber brown eyes in his direction. “You’re welcome. Any time.”

Virgil’s left arm hurt and was stiff as hell, but he lifted it awkwardly and pulled his fish brother in as best he could. There was that odd compliance again as Gordon let him do it with no protest at all.

Gordon’s hair always smelled of chlorine. It was familiar and reassuring.

“You okay?”

That earned him a snort. “My only regret is I didn’t shoot you in the butt.”

“Gordon.”

His brother sobered a little. “Honest, Virg. I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me and...” Those eyes, so like his own, fixed him where he sat. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Virgil didn’t have an answer to that so just pulled him in closer.

“Do it again and it’s the butt. I’m taking pictures.”

Virgil closed his eyes and just held on tight.

-o-o-o-

FIN.


End file.
